September 2026 Herb of the Month: Rose

As a team, Richmond Natural Medicine recently visited the local botanical garden. While there, we played a little iSpy in the wild, spotting herbs and botanicals and listing their medicinal properties. If you’ve been to Lewis Ginter here in Richmond, VA, you know they have quite the selection of beauties. And none stand out quite as much as the rose. This trip inspired this month’s herb of the month: rose. Rose has natural cooling and anti-inflammatory properties that tend to have an affinity for the heart and blood. The affinity for the heart means that it will support both the physical organ and the emotional heart. Energy workers use rose to open the heart chakra to increase patience, compassion, and love.

Common name: Rose
Latin name: Rosa centifolia / Rosa damascena
Part Used: petals, fruits (hips), leaves, and roots (less common)
Properties: Aphrodisiac, Astringent, Cholagogue (promotes the release and flow of bile from the gallbladder) and Choleretic (stimulates the liver to produce and secrete more bile), Hepatic (liver supportive and promotes detoxification), Laxative, and Trophorestorative (helps nourish, repair, and restore a specific organ – in this case, the heart)
Taste: Sweet, Astringent, and Bitter
Energetics: Cooling and drying

History

The earliest historical records indicate that humans used roses as far back as 5,000 years ago. Pliny the Elder (23-79 CE) wrote about roses as an astringent herb and indicated that the petals and heads were used as medicine. He wrote on its uses for many parts of the body, including: the head, ears, mouth, tonsils, stomach, rectum, and uterus.

Dioscorides (40-90 CE) wrote about roses as a cooling and astringent medicine and recorded that a liquor of roses cooked in wine was useful for treating headaches and complaints of the eyes, ears, gums, and womb.

In Greek mythology, roses were created by Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love. They grew from a mixture of her tears and the blood of Adonis, her lover. This reputation inspired Cleopatra VII to use rose petals during public appearances and lay them at Marc Antony’s feet to impress him.

Chinese Empress Wu Zetian would bathe in roses every day. Unrelated, but interestingly, she was the only officially recognized female emperor in China’s entire dynastic history.

Arab physician Al-Kindi (9th century CE) would recommend rose products for stomach pain, ulcers, liver and mouth disorders, and sore throats. He used rose oil for burns and in salves for hemorrhoids. The rose was also considered for “diminishing drunkenness.”

In the 11th century CE, the Arab physician Ibn Sina (also known as Avicenna) was the first recorded scientist to emphasize the use of rose in aromatherapy for the heart and brain. He stated, “Because of its exquisite fragrance, the rose addresses the soul.” Additionally, he recommended inhalation of the steam to alleviate drunkenness and headaches.

During the Victorian Era, outward expressions of… just about anything, but especially affection, were taboo. From this came floriography, the idea that every flower is symbolic of a message. With floriography, you could send a less obvious coded message to somebody. Roses of various colors signified love in all its manifestations: red roses = passionate love, pink = admiration, yellow = joy and friendship, white = innocence and secrecy, and dark crimson indicates mourning.

Benefits

The astringent, drying properties of rose are helpful for conditions associated with fluid accumulation.

Gyanaecology

Herbalists recommend rose to help with excessive menstrual bleeding, vaginal infections, and/or inflammation. Rose clears heat from the uterus and blood and is used to help with dysmenorrhea (severe cramps), metrorrhagia (irregular cycles), endometriosis, and fibroids. On an emotional level, it can also help to alleviate PMS symptoms associated with irritability and emotional sensitivity. Its cooling and drying qualities have made rosewater an excellent aid for menopausal hot flashes.

Nervous System

Rose’s nourishing and calming effect on the nervous system makes it useful for nervous depression and anxiety. They support the nervous system by promoting physiological relaxation, reducing stress hormones, and engaging the limbic brain through scent and visual contact. Basically, this means that even just looking at or smelling a rose can help calm the nervous system.

Skin

Herbalists use roses for inflammatory skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis, urticaria, itching, and irritation. In rosewater form, it is excellent for astringing and calming irritated skin.

Digestion

One of the most common traditional uses of rose is as a tea to combat stomach issues. Research suggests that this may be due to its cholagogue and choleretic properties. This means rose has the ability to increase our liver’s bile production, which helps our body digest food more easily, preventing constipation, and improving nutrient absorption.

Emotional Aspects of Rose

Energetically, rose is all about comforting, soothing, and infusing your heart and soul with joy and gratitude. Rose is supportive of developing personal growth, especially by opening the heart to self-compassion. Rose works to dissolve old wounds of grief, fear, and unworthiness. It works to reestablish self-respect and inner peace by connecting us to divine love.

Recipes

Rose Latte from Olive Trees + Moon

Ingredients

• 1 cup milk (or vegan alternative)
• 1 tsp rose (Rosa spp.) powder. If you don’t have access to rose powder, you can use 1 tbsp of crushed dried rose petals instead. Keep in mind that the result won’t be as highly aromatic, but it’s still quite lovely.
• a dash of vanilla extract
• 1 tsp honey (or vegan alternative)
• 1/2 cup freshly-brewed coffee (or coffee alternative)

Instructions

• Pour the milk into a saucepan and warm it on a low flame, careful not to let it boil.
• Add the vanilla extract and rose powder, and whisk vigorously until it’s bubbly all over. Turn off the heat and add honey.
• If you’re using rose petals, add them to the hot milk, cover, and turn off the heat. Let it infuse for 5 minutes before straining the milk, reheating, and whisking until frothy.
• Turn off the heat and add honey.
• Pour 1/2 cup of this fragrant rose milk into a mug, froth it with a milk frother (optional, but I do love a good frothy drink!), and save the rest for later or to share with a little one. Top with 1/2 cup of coffee and enjoy!

Rose Petal Honey by Rachel Wolf Clean

The flavor of this rose petal honey is ethereal. Make enough to last the year, to stir into warm milk or almond milk, or enjoy straight off the spoon. Useful to treat first-degree burns as well – apply the honey directly to the cooled burn.

Ingredients

• Rose petals
• Raw honey

Instructions

• Loosely fill a glass jar of your choice to the top with freshly foraged rose petals. Do not pack tightly, but fill it so it’s fluffy and loose.
• Cover with raw honey.
• Stir with a knife to release air bubbles and top off with more honey.
• Allow to infuse for 4 days to one week, inverting or gently stirring daily, and enjoy by the spoonful, in tea or warm milk, or on toast (No need to strain, as the petals are very soft.)
• Store finished honey in the refrigerator for up to 1 year.